Automatic cut-off.



om 0 9 1 4H 2 Rm A M ,D E T N 4E T A .P

w. 6. 5 91 2 8 8 m N AUTOMATIC GUT-OFF. rrLxoATIoN Hmm AUG. 12.1901.

31am/nier,

m. n m

pas Novus rzrsns ca.. wlsumcrun. o. c.

WILLIAM I. NORRIS, OF SISTERSVILLE, WEST VIRGINIA.

AUTQMATIC CUT-OFF.

To all whom it 'may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM P. NoRRIs, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Sistersville, in the county of Tyler and State of West Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic `CutOfls, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

This invention relates to automatic cutoffs, especially adapted for use with oil tanks.

The primary object of this invention is to provide novel means for automatically closing the Voutlet of an oil tank to prevent air from entering a pipe line.

A further object of the invention is to `automatically close the tank outlet in case oil backs up in the tank under the pressure of oil from another higher tank in the line.

A still further obj ect of the invention is to automatically operate the valve when the oil reaches any .predetermined level in the tank.

The construction of the improvement will be fully described hereinafterin connection with the accompanying drawing which forms a part of this specilication.

In the drawing: Figure 1 isa side elevation of an oil tank broken away to show the cut-off mechanism therein, Fig. 2 is a view in section on a slightly enlarged scale of the iloat-rod and float employed, Fig. 3 is an elevation of the valve for controlling the tank outlet and its casing, Fig. 4 is a vertical section of said valve and casing, and Fig. 5 is a cross sectional view taken on the line of Fig. 3.

The reference numeral 1 designates a tank provided with an outlet pipe 2 extending through the tank, and screwed into an internally threaded nipple 3 projecting froma casing 4 within which is guided a gate valve 5. The casing 4 and valve 5 are formed with registering ports 6 the port in the casing 4 extending upwardly at an angle to the handle as clearly seen in Fig. 4. The inner side of the casing is open, it being provided with guide flanges 7 between which the valve 5 is supported.

The valve 5 isprovided with a screen 5"1L covering the port thereof for preventing sticks etc. in the oil from obstructing the valve. One of the guide flanges 7 is pro,

vided with a slot 7a the wall at the inner end of which forms a stop for limiting the up- Ward movement of the valve, said valve car- Specicaton of Letters Patent.

Application led August-12, 190'7.

Patented March 24, 1908.

Serial No. 388,207.

l rying a pin 7b working within the. slot 7L of the guide flange 7.

The upper end of the valve 5 is provided with an eyelet 8 to which is loosely connected the lower end of a rod 9, the upper end of which is loosely connected to one end of a lever 10 ful'crumed on a bracket 11 suitably supported on top of the tank. y The rod 9 is provided with an adjustable stop 9a with which said fulcrumed'lever 10 is adapted to engage. Upon the opposite end of the lever 10 is mounted a weight 12 preferably rectangular in form.

On the top of the tank 1 is mounted a base plate 1a upon which the bracket 11 is mounted, and which also has mounted thereon a bracket or a base 12a. In the bracket or base 12EL is fulcrumed a lever `arm 12b, the inner end of which extends upwardly at an inclination towards the weight 12 and is notched at its upper end to engage said weight. The outer end of the arm 12b is bifurcated and provided on the upper face of the bifurcated portion with a plurality of notches or seats 13a. Supported in the bifurcated portion of said arm 12b bymeans of a cross pin 13b isa sleeve 13, a pin or pins 13b engaging one or the other of the notches 13a in the bifurcated portion of said arm 12b. The sleeve 13 receives a rod 14 adjustable in said sleeve and held in adjusted position by means of a set screw 15.

The lower end of the rod 14 is provided with a head 16 and loosely mounted upon said head is a hollow float 17 comprising a cylindrical vessel, closed at the top and bottom thereof and provided with a central tube 18, through which the rod 14 extends, thus allowing the float to freely move up and down upon ysaid rod with the raising or lowering of the liquid in the tank 1. At the top of the float is provided a tubular inlet 19 preferably closed at its upper end and formed with perforations 20 below its top. The size of the lloat and the shape of the same will be according to the gravity of the oil in the tank, as in some localities particularly, it is of very low grade and in that case it is necessary to increase the size and shape of the iloat.

The upward movement of the float 17 upon the rod 14 is limited by an adjustable stop 21 carried by said rod adjacent to the housing 13.

The operation of the mechanism constructthe height of the liquid in the tank is lowered sufficiently, the float 17 rests upon the head ed as above described, is as follows: When.

(jfl

16, thus pulling downwardly upon the rod 14, tilting the arm 12b upon its fulcrum, releasing the weight 12, and allowing said weight through the medium of a fulcrum lever 10 to elevate the rod 9 and raise the gate valve 5 and close the port 6. In case the oil backs up into the tank through the pressure of oil in a tank situated in a high elevation, it will raise the float 17 until said float contacts with the stop 21 where saidfloat will be held, and will gradually fill with oil as the Oil in the tank rises. Immediately upon the float 17 being filled with oil, it descends by gravity and again engages the head 16, tilting the fulcrumed arm 12b, releasing the weight 12, and elevating the rod 9 and the gate valve 5 to close the port 6. The rod 14 can be readily adjusted vertically by means of its set screw 15 to regulate the operations of the valve with relation to the depth or quantity of oil in the tank 1.

The novel construction of the ports 6 allows the oil in the tank to reach as low a level as it did before the cut-oli was used, thus saving the trouble and expense of lowering the tank nipple or outlet pipe.

It is thought that the operation of my improved automatic cut-off will be apparent from the foregoing description taken in vconnection with the drawings, and I reserve a right to make such structural changes as are permissible by the appended claims.

I-Iaving fully described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination with a tank having an outlet pipe extending through the wall of the tank, and a casing connected to the inner end of the outlet pipe and having an inclined port communicating with the outlet pipe, a gate valve slidably-mounted in said casing and having a port normally registering with the port in the casing, a rod connected tothe upper end of the gate valve and extending through the top of the tank, a bracket mounted on the top of said tank, a lever pivotally mounted in said bracket and engaging said rod, a weight on said lever, a lever-arm pivotally-mounted on the top of the tank and engaging said weight, Aa oat-rod suspended from said lever-arm and extending into the tank, and a' float slidably-mounted on said lioat-rod.

2. In combination with .a tank having an outlet pipe extending into the same, a casing connected to said pipe and having a port communicating with said pipe, and a gate slidable in said casing provided with a port normally registering with the port in the casing, a rod connected to said gate and extending through the tank top, a weighted lever pivotally-supported on the top of the tank and connected to said rod, a lever-arm pivotally-supported on the tank top and engaging said weighted lever, the said leverarm having a bifurcated outer end, a sleeve mounted in the bifurcated end of said leverarm, a float-rod adjustably-mounted in said sleeve and extending into said tank, and a hollow float slidable on said float-rod within the tank.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in thepresence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM P. NORRIS.

Witnesses:

WALTER S. KING, B. L. BULLMAN. 

